


The Secret World of Star Butterfly

by orphan_account



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: All the non human characters are human okay?, Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, F/M, Forgive Me, Gen, Now this is a story all about how Star's life got flipped turned upside down, Orphan!Star, Overuse of 90s Movie Tropes, Probably too fast paced but it's like the show, Tsundere!Star, Urban Legends, a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 11:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7266928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if SVTFOE was a <b>90s</b> cartoon? </p><p>Something from the days of <i>Alex Mac</i> and<i> Wonderballs </i>and <i>Spice Girls</i>?<br/>Specifically the year 1999, when our Queen Daron, herself was a 14 year old wonder girl? </p><p>Yes. This is that AU.</p><p>A Oneshot split into 6 Chapters because ?????</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sorry, You're Not a Wizard Star.

**Author's Note:**

> Have I risen from the depths of the Hiatus battlefield? Maybe?
> 
> Because Star is coming home from the war.
> 
> Or at least, somewhere within this busy hullabaloo I have sat down and written something. Admittedly not very good.
> 
> Still it's got 14k words so... read it.
> 
> This came to me with the return to fashion of Over-alls and those uncomfortable choker necklaces. Plus a Clinton running for president. Nostalgia is everywhere and I wanted to relive that wild ride that was the 90's. 
> 
> Despite the cliche and stereotypes shown here in this AU. I assure you much is taken from the memories of the days before Shrek was even in the box office and wifi was simply a misspelling of the word _wife_.
> 
> Now for the youngens who might have not experienced much of the decade shown, nor the spillage into the new millennium, let me illustrate a few reasonings for why things are how they are in this AU.
> 
> Star is an orphan, because if you made a family movie in the 90s it had usually one of three plot points.
> 
> \- Animals
> 
> \- Orphans
> 
> \- Divorcees and their kids
> 
> Sometimes all three.
> 
> Also Star is a tsundere, because I love tsunderes, and a big influence here was Hey Arnold which has the most wonderful Tsundere known to man, Helga G. Pataki. Also I think Star would be rather awful if she had a lonely upbringing and so it makes sense.
> 
> Janna is Marco's step cousin because I just wanted to.
> 
> Heinous is called Janice because it's a similar sound and a good name for an Alien Aunt in hiding. 
> 
> This was also my first time ever writing for Ludo in any context.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're a hairy legged lizard, Ryck.

_It was the best of times, the worst of times, the simpler of times._

_An age of golden Summers, golden retrievers who played basketball, and golden butterfly hair clips._

_Of Grunge and Gap and Good Burgers._

_Of Britney and Backstreet and Buffy and Brad and Jen Forever._

_Of Dunkaroos and Dreamcast and Doug._

_Of Y2K and TGIF and AOL._

_Only 90s Kids Remember._

* * *

 That motley crew, misfits united. Living different lives in different ways but held together by the mutual misunderstanding of life in general. A staple of these times.

The oldest was Eponine Hedden, lovingly nicknamed _Pony Head_ by her compatriots. Whether it was a clever play on shortening her name, or her signature hair style of many small sidewinder ponytails is a mystery to this day.

Neither age nor experience rendered her the wisest of the group, nor the leader, but she was a pinnacle. No reckless adventure could happen without her assistance to be sure.

The duo of Alfonso and Ferguson were also worth mentioning, never one without the other. They were also a staple to the logistics of this hierarchy. They existed to say things, to do things, that otherwise if left undone would leave things lacking in luster. Every group of youth needs a two man tag team of ridiculousness, to be without is to be incomplete.

There was Janna Lewis, the obligatory weirdo. If it could be argued the entire group was of weirdos and societal rejects then Janna was the one who was doubly so. Her odd humor, love for pranks and overall attitude of tease and flirt, it added a spice to the atmosphere of adventure. Plus she was the most excellent at espionage and escape and it was valuable to have her around.

No group lacked the perfection, in the form of Jackie Lynn Thomas. Outwardly, without blemish or bruise in appearance or attitude. She was calm, cool, collected, never shaken, never stubborn, never stern. However, when you knew her, you'd realize she had a strange habit of eating ketchup with everything and she did tend to ditch for surfing and skating events. It was just one of those things you'd never realize to look at her but it reminded you about judging books by covers. An Aesop overused.

Though, I still haven't mentioned the leaders of our little band, have I? In plural at that. For there were two and that was a problem, and they were a problem and in this way all other problems come about.

Star Bloomingfield, who lived on Lake St. with her Aunt Janice.

Marco Diaz, who lived next door.

It had been that way for as long as either could remember which was ten years and that was enough.

Star, whose parents had died those ten years before. Who lived in that house with a strict aunt who begrudged the responsibility. Star was a caution. Rebellious and reckless and often a show off. She acted up and out for attention. She was a terror and a mess and didn't seem to mind in the least. I wouldn't be surprised if she was feared, but she liked the power she yielded and it brought her to her place as de facto leader. A place she liked quite a lot.

Star was not afraid of saying whatever she felt, doing whatever she could, and being downright wretched because of it on many occasions. And she was punished, repeatedly, but it didn't seem to deter her.

Marco did not approve, and he said so. Maybe they knew each other _too_ well, as it happens.

Marco felt legitimately sorry for Star, no doubt there, he knew she was lonely and starved for attention and that she acted out often because of that. He knew that he should try harder, but why couldn't _she_ try harder as well? She enjoyed making him riled, she enjoyed pushing him off metaphorical cliffs. She enjoyed getting him out of his comfort zone. His step-cousin Janna, did things to annoy him, it was true, but this was different. He had the feeling that somewhere in Star's twisted misguided logic she felt she was doing him a favor. Maybe she was, maybe he got too comfortable with safe status quo, and maybe he couldn't begrudge her. Still when he thought he understood her, when he thought she was softening up towards him, she'd turn right around and do something so inexcusably ridiculous. He often wondered why he even tried to help her, why he even felt any empathy, she would never never change. She was too stubborn and he was equally so.

So they feuded. They fought, they battled and bickered, argued and angsted. The cold war never seemed to end and the stalemate was set. Sometimes with intervals of light teasing and almost jovial interaction breaking monotony. The squabbled, yet somehow you wondered if they hated each other as much as they led you to believe.

Marco liked to think of himself as the voice of reason. But reason is often not complete without rhyme, no matter how ridiculous rhyme may seem. Maybe the same could be said of Marco, who would he preach to if Star was taken out of the equation? Maybe he did it sometimes for the wrong reasons, for the general good feeling he got from knowing he was simply right when she was simply wrong. Maybe she knew it and called him out often for it, for his self righteousness was as bad as her recklessness any day. Maybe he knew it just as well that she saw right through him. And it was a balance, of two who were equally in the wrong and wouldn't admit it. A Yin and a Yang whether they knew it or not.

And both ruled the roost in among their friend group. Star, looked up to for her formidable power, and Marco for his moral guidance and wisdom. And they clashed on everything, so things were never dull.

This blessed union of collective souls was the only world they knew and no one told them life was gonna be this way.

For there were two things coming, the end of the world and the end of theirs as they knew it.

* * *

 It started as things do, at the end of one thing and the beginning of another. The end of Summer as it was, and the beginning of the fourteenth year of Star's life.

Star turned fourteen that blazing August day and was celebrating alone. Not by choice, but even the institution of dependable friend group had it's terms and conditions.

Maybe it was because Star ruled with iron fist, and maybe it was that reason that they hadn't thought twice about avoiding her for most of the Summer at that. So it was very convenient to simply forget about the anniversary of the day she came into this world. They did have a few excuses though.

* Eponine was grounded for joy riding in her Dad's prized Mustang the day before. Fifteen years she had waited for that learner's permit and fifteen hours was all it took for her to use it irresponsibly. She lamented to Star later on the phone, that she could not be present for her day of days, but considering Pony's track record, you'd think she would have snuck out as she did so often when grounded. Maybe it was a foreboding sign that Star could not read, of things to come.

* Janna couldn't miss the new episode of _Buffy_ , obviously. It was vital, and Star did understand. It wasn't like there was a way to watch it later, not involving seriously put out family members and a VCR.

* Jackie had a surfing competition, the last before school. This wasn't necessarily a new or underused excuse, but Jackie had apologized so sincerely and perfectly that you just couldn't truly be too angry. Which was irritating in and of itself.

* Alfonso, was in Italy for a family reunion. Everyone was jealous.

* Ferguson, remembered his Summer reading assignment was due, _Holes_ was a surprisingly relatable book and he couldn't seem to tear himself away from it, uncharacteristically.

* Star's Aunt Janice, that _beacon of merriment_ , was as usual, away on errands enigmatic. With the cheerful morning salutation she had left her one and only niece on her birthday being "Don't try anything." Which was a tad unusual, seeing as Star for once had barely done anything in the last three days to even warrant light reprimand. It was a glorious start to the day.

It seemed the only person aware it was Star Bloomingfield's birthday, besides herself, was the last she would expect; Marco Diaz.

Marco noticed her now from behind the patchy shrubbery separating their backyards. The gaping holes in the hedging bush very hard not to peer through at the sound of a slightly disappointed sigh.

He wasn't eavesdropping, he was just being observant, it was part of the meditation he was supposed to be practicing for Karate. Knowing your surroundings.

Star sat criss-cross applesauce in her favorite grassy patch where a few wayward dandelions had escaped the mower. One azure over-all strap slumped dejectedly off her shoulder that she seemed too preoccupied to fix.

' _Dandelions, kinda like Star,_ ' Marco thought a bit un-generously ' _They look pretty and innocent until you realize they've killed everything in your garden._ '

' _Yet you still like them, you still can't seem to imagine life without them._ ' His subconscious spoke up unexpectedly. He shook it away.

Her head tilted in thought as she deftly worked her _Lisa Frank_ sticker-covered hands in an age old Summer ritual. Folding a cootie catcher.

It was a simple sort of pastime, and definitely not expected of the girl who often was pacified with any number of luxuries to relive her aunt of any guilt regarding her neglect of the child.

Yet here she was, amusing herself with folded paper and silly dreams of a future they prophesied.

He knew it was her birthday, it was just one of those things. Memories of past years, when she had been far more vocal about it. He wasn't apt to forget. He wondered at her spending it without anyone, and his conscience tried to convince him to maybe invite her over for dinner at least, against his better judgement. Star did eat at the Diazs often enough, despite their personal feud. His parents thought she was precious and showered her with any amount of affection they could. It was just how they were. It just gave another easy way for Star to get onto him as well, so she never passed up the opportunity. Though, he knew she probably really needed the parental attentions too.

He considered the option and decided to do the right thing, the heroic thing, maybe for the wrong reasons or not. Being the bigger person in their ongoing squabble. He made his way towards the shrub when he heard her being joined by another.

He wasn't eavesdropping, really.

He recognized the voice of her Uncle Ryck.

Star's only other living relative that Marco was aware of, though he knew he held no relation to Star's aunt. He really couldn't even see the family resemblance at all, Ryck was not easy on the eyes. He liked to wear linen shorts and you couldn't tell what was more unsettling to see, if he had shaved his legs or not. You'd hope that someone so unpleasant to behold at least would have a heart of purest gold beauty and wisdom for the ages, but it didn't seem to be so either. Ryck very plainly was a rather unpleasant person all around. He was tolerable, but barely, and really Marco didn't think Star liked him anymore than he did. However, beggars can't be choosers, and he was the only family Star had besides her formidable aunt. In fact, if you compared Uncle Ryck to Aunt Janice, Uncle Ryck looked like a rather wonderfully kind and humorous person full of good merits. Though really it was just a case of the lesser of two evils.

The real reason Star showed any fondness for him, was because he doted on her a tiny bit more, and scolded her less than Aunt Janice. He still was very critical, but in such a way that seemed as if maybe he did want to help her be better, and not just to be difficult. Also if she was good, he told her little tales of her parents, which to their love-starved daughter was like manna from heaven in the wilderness. She devoured every inch of information with an unmatchable hunger.

They too were not the most benevolent souls, but they had their good points. Star took in everything she heard of them with a wistfulness that made her almost unrecognizably gentler. She probably would have been a different sort of person, if they had lived. Though it didn't do any good to focus on the If's.

On this afternoon Uncle Ryck brought with him a present, not an unusual occurrence, but the way he presented it was. A weighted and hinged wooden box of clearest blue, much like Star's overalls. He pulled up a dilapidated and rusty lawn chair to sit down next to her nook and set the box in her lap.

"It's time you knew."

Marco might have listened more intently, but it was completely unintentional.

"Knew what?" Star's voice spoke up, it's usual range of unreadable emotion.

"Two things." Ryck never wasted any words.

"One, I'm not your real uncle."

Star did feel more than a little relived, at least the genes that had produced such a person were not flowing through her DNA. It was a mean thought, but it was true.

Marco conceded also a bit of strange relief, he couldn't place why at the moment, but it just was there. Perhaps it was second-hand.

"What's the second thing?" Star didn't care for an explanation as to why Uncle Ryck even bothered with keeping her as surrogate niece in the first place with this revelation. Curiousness regarding the box overpowered.

"This is a present for you, from your parents."

Marco peered through a hole in the shrubbery, far too curious as to what Star's facial reaction was to such a statement.

She seemed calm, confused, and a little unsure. There was something wanting in her eyes, and he had never remembered seeing the sign of unshed tears as much as now. But she was bracing herself, blinking back rapidly so no tears would fall, putting on her indifferent face. It was a whole wave of emotions. She kept her head bent so Ryck wouldn't see it.

She opened the wooden box he deposited in her lap with a sort of reverence. Marco wondered if perhaps it was how orphans in books identified with touching something that their parents had. She was sucking in her breath as the lid lifted. And when she saw it, her expression was pure bewilderment. Marco couldn't see the present to know exactly what and why.

"Your mother dabbled in magic." This was spoken like a logical explanation.

The way it was said, it sounded as if it was a hobby any sort of person would have, like floral arrangement or stamp collecting.

"Well, actually I suppose she did more than dabble."

Star still did not utter a word, she was rooted in her seat in the dirt. The blue box settled in her lap still with it's lid shielding the contents from Marco's view. His eyes ever widening.

"She was a witch?" Star finally enunciated, never removing her eyes from the gift.

 _That makes a lot of sense_. Even Marco was surprised at the harsh nature of his own unspoken thought.

"I wouldn't call it that exactly." Ryck said with a hesitation to his answer.

"A wizard?" She tried again.

"No." He was very final on that one.

Star's face showed her disappointment. Then her suspicious curiosity.

"Then what was she?"

"Magic." He said simply.

"Just plain magic?"

"There's nothing plain about magic, kid."

"This was her wand?"

_A wand. It was a wand. A magic wand._

"Correctamundo."

"But- how?" There was a million questions in that one word.

"I'm not even sure, but it's there and you've got it." Ryck was such a helpful soul.

"Why?" Her eyes remained puzzled, and unbelieving and yet also as if she wanted more than anything to believe.

"You're gonna have to be more specific there." His tone was unsympathetic to her confusion and it frustrated Marco, no wonder Star didn't know how to treat people properly. This guy was no example.

"Why does she think I can use it? It's her wand, she's the one who knew how to use it."

"You've got her blood. Also her eyes." Ryck added softly. After a pause he said. "Don't believe me? Pick it up."

Marco watched expectantly as she removed it from the box. The moment it touched her hand a bright light and sparkle of glowing color surrounding it. He heard a sound like a chorus and when the light cleared it was held in Star's hand. Purple and very reminiscent of Star's unique style. He was aware it must have looked different in the box, and it hit him that it had changed just with contact. She really _did_ have magic.

Star gaped at it. As Ryck reached down into the discarded box to remove something else.

"Here's her spell book, and a letter. It should cover the bases. Though I guess I should cut down the shock value a little. You know _Sailor Moon_?"

Star's eyes flittered from the wand, to the book, to Ryck's unsightly face. An eyebrow raised as she gestured her shoulder towards her patchy denim jacket thrown haphazardly on the other rusty lawn chair. It's back littered with _Sailor Moon_ themed sew on patches of various shapes and sizes and symbols. Her face conveying the obviously sarcastic answer she did not give.

"Don't give me your snark, I was just asking. Well, it's kinda like that."

"My mom was a celestial goddess from the moon?" Marco couldn't blame Star for her skeptical tone. Despite the wand's earlier miracles.

"Minus the celestial goddess part, and the moon part, and just settle for Mewni."

"What the heck is Mewni?"

"A planet."

_**Holy craparoni.** _

"My mom was an _alien_?!"

"Your dad too." Ryck was unapologetically nonchalant about this whole thing and Marco felt legitimately upset with him for dropping it on Star in such a way. Or for playing a horrible practical joke on her on her already dismal birthday. He felt himself fume as he watched Star try to grasp at the words. Searching the ground around her for answers and searching for something, anything to hold onto. This was suppose to lessen the shock value?

"I'm- I'm _not_..." She was breathing heavily and Marco had never seen her look so helplessly lost.

"Human? That is correct, you are 100% pure bred Mewman, practically the last of your kind, except for a few. It's not that different from Human though, no one will be able to tell, unless you were to tell them. But Star,"

The world became silent, everything seemed to slow down. As Marco stood still in silent frustration on one side of the shrubbery, Star looked straight at her surrogate Uncle, and the man in question's tone hit a level of seriousness as it dropped to a conspirator's whisper. No one moved or breathed. Ryck continued.

"You can't let anyone, I mean anyone know about this. Who knows what could happen. I don't want to be morbid you know, but that's one of the reasons why you're an orphan, your parents couldn't keep secrets."

Star looked down again, unmoving. And with this reassuring thought, Ryck rose from his chair bidding a small farewell as Marco paced his own yard in a daze.

 _Dios Mio_ , was he saying Star's parents had been murdered? Marco shivered in spite of the warm August evening, and realized something horrible. He knew about it now too. This potentially dangerous secret. A secret Star had to bear alone, or would have, if he didn't know.

This opened a new can of worms, he _knew_ , and he wasn't _supposed_ to. _She_ didn't know _he_ knew, and if he didn't tell her that could be dangerous but if he did tell her then it was still dangerous. There was no winning. He would have to tell her.


	2. Not The Garden Confession Scene You've Always Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mmm... Mmm... Angsty.

Star still sat flabbergasted in her grassy patch. She didn't even want to look at the wand, now. Maybe it would have been wiser to take the wretched thing up to her room and hide it. However, then Aunt Janice might see it. She had a habit to snoop, and Star wasn't sure what would happen if she found it. Where did Aunt Janice fit into all this? Where did _she_ herself fit into all this?

Star's life had always been filled with secrets, secrets that everyone pretended weren't there, but everyone knew really were. Now it seemed she knew what a few of them were and she really wished she hadn't. She didn't know how to take in any of this. Uncle (Uncle?) Ryck had left as quickly as he came. Star even doubted he would ever be coming to visit her again now that she was prime target. There was nothing but a looming secret, unanswered questions, and a burden to carry alone. She had seen enough movies to know what normally happened when people caught wind of aliens among them. The government had an absolute mania about experimentation for these things after all. Wasn't that what Area 51 was about? Where all those missing people who weren't really people after all are carted away and never heard from again?

' _Thanks a lot, Mom and Dad_.'

The letter. It had to say _something_. Words written from her parents, truly. She should be thankful.

She gingerly placed the wand back in the box, holding it for too long was making her jittery. She pulled out the letter and small leather-bound volume holding the spells, then closed the box lid firmly.

* * *

 Back on his side of the shrub, Marco watched her face fall as she read the letter, it was not a cheerful epistle. He wondered how much longer he should wait before telling her. A conversation he dreaded. But as she folded up the note with her thoughts a thousand miles or maybe ten years away he decided it was best to get it over with.

"Star?" He called through the shrubbery, which was slightly unusual, but seemed more polite than scaring the pants off her.

No response.

"Star?" He tried again and made the mistake of peeking a head through the shrub as she yelped in surprise and threw the closest and convenient thing at him. A very large rock bordering the dahlias.

He returned the yelp and ducked out of the way just in time, then making his way through the worn hole in the hedge waving the white of his Karate Gi sleeves like a flag.

"Oh it's _you_." She said scornfully but not nearly as vehemently energetic as usual. The fire gone out of her. He noted her haste to quickly stash the letter and spell book into the box and place it behind her. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, Diaz. It's impolite, not that _you_ would know anything about manners."

She was falling back on her common ground, the echo of her aunt's constant bemoaning of Star's lack of etiquette. It was the place she reverted to when most vulnerable, a comfort zone. Even though it was an entirely hypocritical stance considering she was anything but polite to him during their rows. And at any other time told the ways of societal convention to _kindly go suck an egg_.

Marco knew all this, the same song and dance, even so he had to catch himself from returning the remarks with malice. It was easy to fall into their pattern of petty insults for absolutely no logical reason. He knew that it wouldn't do anyone any good today.

"I'm sorry I startled you, I was trying not to. _I come in peace_." It was gentler than usual and he congratulated himself on keeping an even tone. Then realized his choice of words might not have been tactful.

They weren't and she cringed at the ill-timed pun.

"What do you want?" It was a very well disguised question, as if she wasn't excessively nervous about just how long he had been on the other side of the shrub, her arms folded but never moving from her place in the dirt.

"Two things." And she stiffened at the mirroring of words her Ryck had used just a half an hour before when the blow fell. "One, Happy Birthday."

If her guard fell just a little it showed to the trained observer. A slight look of disbelief, a slight look of appreciation, not without suspicion but a softened expression all the same. "Thanks."

He paused slightly looking for the right words as he rocked a little on his feet. She opened her mouth to urge him to come to his second point but he cut her off.

"Two," He looked around now with a critical gaze, he suddenly realized that this wasn't just something you proclaimed loudly. If he had heard the secret so easily unintentionally, then who knew who could hear it intentionally. Who knew if anyone had been following Ryck or on the trail of the wand or _her_. It was delicate.

He decided to sit down across from her. Star pulled in her knees in defensive state as she grew uneasy. "I heard some things, and it wouldn't be right if I didn't tell you because it's not my secret to keep."

Her eyes widened and then narrowed.

"You were spying on me?"

"No, I was coming over to ask you to come to dinner for your birthday if you weren't doing anything, Mom and Dad would not want you spending it alone." He conveniently left out the fact that the idea was not theirs nor was the decision to execute it. "But then your Uncle, uh I mean, Ryck, showed up and I backed off. "

"And you eavesdropped on our private conversation then?" She was growing livid.

" _Unintentionally_."

"No one _listens_ unintentionally."

"Look okay, I'm sorry, but I heard everything. And I couldn't just not tell you I knew because _that_ wouldn't be right!"

Star didn't want a speech now on what was _right_. Nothing at that moment was right.

"You're _sorry_? Are you really sorry you listened or are you just sorry your precious guilty conscience had to be pacified by apologizing? Or are you sorry that my life, which was _no walk in the park_ already got thrown for a loop by two _dead_ _parents_ I can't even get angry at for not giving a crap about how this would affect me? Cause you know what a kid no one loves needs? A moving target on her head! _Fan-freaking-tastic_! Now I'm not only a _freak_ but also an  alien? You may be _sorry_ , but does that help? _No_! I'm  sure you're _sorry_ Marco, you're always _sorry_. But are you _sorry_ enough to do anything about it except tell me everything _I'm_ constantly doing _wrong_?  No, and _neither is anyone else._ "

The speech had started loud in volume but as it tapered off it grew quiet, and Star shook with each word. Her emotions finally hitting like a freight train, she didn't know how to control. She could feel the tears stinging but she didn't feel strong enough to keep them back. Marco was going to see her weak and broken, and feel even more pity and wasn't that just _peachy_? _Happy freaking birthday to her._

"I'm _sorry_ , I'm _sorry_ you had to get stuck in my disaster of a life. I'm _sorry_ I take everything out on you. _I'm sorry my existence ruins the perfection of yours._ " Her words cut like knives, but they were genuine. Then she ducked her head on top of her knees not daring to look at him anymore.

Marco didn't know how to respond, he figured reaching out a hand right now would get him decked, and trying to say anything was beyond him. He was apologizing to relieve his conscience, she had him there. She often nailed him like that. His selfish little ways. He was always on to her about her faults, and she got enough of that from her aunt, Principal Skeeves when she was at school, and just about everyone else.

There was a thoughtful stillness.

"You're right, I was apologizing for myself, but I wasn't telling you entirely for myself. I don't think it's right, for you to have to keep this secret alone. So I wanted you to know that you didn't have to." He let the words hang in the air.

She lifted her head slowly, a look between them, a look of understanding. And oddly, _trust_.

"You're really not going to tell anyone?" She asked finally, her face peeking over the tops of her knees.

"Your secret is with the _Safe Kid_." He said earnestly. The pun earned a roll of her eyes. Reminiscent of one of her harsher nicknames for him.

After a few more minutes of awkwardly comfortable silence, she broke it with a thought, "That is, until I can dig up an amnesia spell." 

He smiled a little, it was a good sign, "Then all I have to lose is my memories or my life, so basically the usual risk of hanging around you."

She kinda appreciated the fact he knew her well enough not to bring up everything while she was still processing. That their usual back and forth gave her time to think and also not think about it simultaneously.

And she might have hid a smile.

And he might have notice her hide it.

"Is that invitation for dinner still on?" 

* * *

He thought this might change things a little between them, maybe a little respect might creep through now that he bore her secret.

However she quickly made her opinion of that clear as they sat idly on his sofa after dinner, enjoying the delights of prime time. Well, Marco sat. Star was basically upside down with her head hanging off the cushion and her legs leaning against the back up to the wall. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz making themselves scarce to advance their own personal hopes of hand picked future daughter in law.

"No, this doesn't change things, Marco. Look, I know and trust you enough to keep your word. Just as you know and trust me enough to know I'm not gonna turn a 180 and fall on your feet for being a decent person. I appreciate it, and I'll let you know I do, but the point of the fact is I'm not gonna start showering you with affection immediately. One, because that would be awkward. Two, because don't you think our friends would notice if we just suddenly stopped being mortal enemies? We're trying to keep things as normal status quo as possible, so as not to draw attention to any change in circumstances. Should be easy for _you._ Three, I can't just stop getting at you, it's too fun and it would be completely out of my nature, probably out of yours too."

There was some logic to her arguments, and he did realize that it would be completely out of his own nature to stop their little tit-for-tat cold turkey. Plus he would miss it, but it also got his goat that she was right and he wasn't even going to tell her she was right because it was also in his own nature to disagree with her on everything anyway which again made her doubly right. It was a paradox. And his response simply furthered this dodgy cycle unending.

"That's not very fair, Star."

"Life isn't fair, Diaz."

And that put the argument back in stalemate to be brought out and hashed out another time to return to the same conclusion. But maybe it was just their way, and the old familiarity of it gave Star something concrete to hold onto during this time of confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS STORY HAS A BETTER SONG INSPO NOW:
> 
>  _EVERYBODY BREAKS A GLASS_ by LIGHTS 
> 
> ANGST AND EMOTION AND RAP AND ANGER. YAS.


	3. If You're Aware You're Cliche, Are You Still Cliche?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janna was made for this AU. Janna was made for every AU. Janna is wonderful. I love Janna.

She hadn't been quite sure where this left her. What to do now with the knowledge or the power. She didn't feel quite like herself anymore and she didn't like that. So she figured the first goal was to readjust to be her again, but then _who_ was she?

Then there was that wand. She wanted to touch it, and she wanted to fling it into the sun. She wanted to cradle it close and she wanted to throw it in the ocean and let it be swept a thousand miles away. She wanted to use it, and she wanted it destroyed. She adored it, it was cute and powerful, she despised it, it was menacing and frightening.

She would sit in front of the box staring it down. Another hour passed and she would open it. Another hour watching and she would shut it tight in fear and hide it under her bed. Then she would go out and stuff the wretched thing in her purse so it would not be found in her absence by Aunt Janice. Just the momentary contact with it as she did so brought chills down her spine and sparks in her fingers.

She'd thumb through the spell book, now cleverly disguised with a false cover she'd dug out of her collection previously used to cover a Babysitters Club book she'd never returned to the school library. Some parts were easy to understand, others were coded and complicated, still others were in alien writing. She doubted she'd ever understand what those said and she hoped it wasn't the important parts.

She was frustrated with herself for not leaping headlong into trying out spells and using magic for reckless personal use. It wasn't normal, it wasn't _her_.

The truth was, she knew she was afraid. But she wasn't ready to admit it.

Marco didn't push it, even when Star began to compensate for her anxieties by doing extra reckless things not involving magic. He knew she would even out things in her own time. Until then, they resumed something mirroring their normal lives. At least until school began the day after Labor Day. And Star decided to take on a new course; _Alien Birthright Magic 101._

* * *

 Marco hadn't thought this would be easy, but he hadn't thought it would be so hard.

There was no handbook on how to keep your former(?) rival's secret magical abilities from your mutual friend group. It was as if their lives had reached Nickelodeon Fantasy Sitcom stage. Complete with the cliches.

Like how Star had tried to end the Football team's losing streak with a ' _fancy footwork'_ spell. One of the very first she had attempted to master in her book. And they had all ended up being forced to do ridiculous Irish river dance in their enchanted cleats. They won they game, in the stranges circumstances ever. And now Coach Redford was working new plays around their newest ability. But everyone had deemed it a pretty weird turn of events.

He knew Janna was the first to be getting suspicious. She was all into the Occult anyways, and she kept going on about Star's ' _manna_ ' levels and her ' _redefined aura_ '. She knew something was up, and she made sure to corner him about it as they walked to chemistry.

Marco wasn't sure why he walked to chemistry with Janna, even their step-cousin bond didn't seem to warrant the requirement of doing so. It wasn't exactly the most enjoyable experience for him. Especially when Janna would flirt with the overused line, "You know Marco, we've got _chemistry_.".

He realized it was simply something he had again been too set in status quo to get out of. He also realized the amount of time he was spending around Star had caused him to start seeing some sense in her attempts to get him to shake things up.

And he also realized he was thinking about Star again when he really shouldn't have to be.

Janna immediately launched into her thought processes as they walked.

"I'm telling you Marco, ever since we started High School, something weird has been happening with Star. I know you pretend like you don't care, but she's your next door neighbor and you really do. I mean her aunt is always doing _weird_ stuff in that Attic, and I just know Star is hiding something too. Something  magic."

" _Really_ Janna? We've been over this, _Sailor Moon_ is _just_ a fairytale. Your mom is gonna be really upset if she finds out you've relapsed from all those psychiatric treatments you made so much progress on."

Janna was not to be thus sidetracked by cleverly manipulated guilt that Marco so easily inflicted as the voice of reason. She had caught his slip up and was giving a knowing look.

"I _never_ said _Sailor Moon_ , Marco."

 

> **Cliche numero uno:** _The denial that actually gives away more information than it denies._

 

"Though I think you've noticed just as much as I have or you wouldn't have thought of that. In fact, I was thinking more along the lines of _Sabrina_ , but if you know something I don't..."

"I don't know anything Janna, I just know how your crazy head works." Marco was trying to remain ambiguous and unassuming, it _almost_ worked.

"A few weeks ago, I might have believed that excuse, but you know a few things are adding up here. Like the fact that thinking on it, Star is a lot more like _Sailor_ _Moon_ then _Sabrina_ , and that to notice that you'd have to be paying a bit more attention to her than just passing glance." She was smirking now.

"Maybe Star's not the only one with a secret, huh Marco?"

He tried to act indifferent but there was a slight hesitation and flustration to his voice.

"You're reading _way_ too much into this."

"Worried I'll find something?"

"You couldn't even find your locker, Janna."

"That was _one_ _time_. And you're just avoiding the issue, now then, you and Star have a secret and I bet I know what it is..."

Marco was sweating a little, Janna was rather showy but she also was calculating and extremely smart when she wanted to be. She could put two and two together and make five and still work it out to be correct.

 

"You're secretly dating."

 

_Say What?_

 

"Say What?"

 

 

> **Cliche number two:** _the humorous misunderstanding pertaining to romance that seems preposterous yet oddly obvious._

 

"And she's got you under a love potion, it's the only way it makes sense, since you guys hated each other before. At least I think you hated each other before? It was always kinda like either you were out to kill each other or unresolved romantic tension, I could never decide. It has to be a magic love potion though, probably from her aunt's apothecary. What a scathingly brilliant trick to play on you! _Classic_ Star." Janna shook her head with a grin.

Marco just gaped, he wasn't sure whether to be relived that Janna was _way_ off, or totally bewildered by half of her accusations because Janna wasn't _as_ far off as he would like to admit.

"Star's not- we're not- I AM _NOT_ -" He sputtered in confusion, completely halting in their hasty trot to class as curious on lookers _once_ _again_ got to witness the iconic _Diaz Denial Breakdown™._

"Aw Hun, that's just what the love potion wants you to believe." Janna pinched his cheek sympathetically while Marco stepped away on the defensive.

"I'm not dating Star! I'm not even- I don't even- she HATES me!" Marco didn't even have time to wonder why he couldn't just outright deny the entire idea.

"Look at that! Me helping you realize the truth is already cutting through the affects of the love potion, there's hope for you yet Diaz! But maybe you should play along a little longer, after all you could definitely turn this around to your favor and give Star a taste of her own medicine. It would be golden. Anyway I've done my duty. I'll leave you to self destruct. Don't be late to chemistry!"

Janna was skipping off happily secure in the knowledge she could continue her courtship of Marco unhindered now, and the boy in question was still flabbergasted and protesting in small spurts. It did no good, Janna was gone, and would not be swayed anyway. And Marco didn't even understand why doth protest too much.

_Him and Star dating? Next someone would be telling him The Olsen Twins weren't actually identical.*_

* * *

 Somewhere in the deep dark depths of the U.S. Government's most secret of surveillance programs, the harried Agent Ludo analyzed his newest assignment.

"Star Butterfly, alias Bloomingfield." He read with a voice that even sounded like the look of disgust on his face. "Butterfly..." He mused to his compatriot, a bulky and formidable man whom he knew only and incorrectly as ' _Chad_ '.

"Butterfly, like Moon and River Butterfly, the infamous alien duo we thwarted ten years ago? Filthy feudalists."

"Yes sir," confirmed 'Chad's' thick accent "We believe they were her parents."

"And she somehow has received their possessions, that is, of an alien technology nature?"

"Yes." He nodded assuredly. "She seems to be in possession of the wand."

"Excellent!" Praised Agent Ludo with a new light in his eyes. "Get me that wand! And I guess the girl too, I'm assigning you Chad,"

"That is not my name." But Ludo had ceased listening and began to scribble down his orders.

"Codename: Agent Buff Frog. And Agents Codename: Lobster Claws, Bearicorn, Man-Arm, Big Chicken, and uh the rest," he paused and looked at the other man with a strange realization "we have some really unusual code names in this department. You know that? Anyway, basically anybody we can get. This shouldn't be too hard."

That's also what they said about the Cold War.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Guess what kids? The Olsen twins aren't actually identical. Just two fraternal twins that look alike because they are sisters, if you've seen a pic of their younger sis Lizzie in recent years, she too could pass off as their triplet. It's an Olsen thing ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	4. How About We Die and Say That We Lived?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It should be said here and now I made up the entirety of Janna's story MYSELF. I'm not sure what that says about my mental state. 
> 
> Don't Eat GMO Fruit, Kids.

"Gather round me foolhardy chums, let me regale you a tale this miserable day."

Janna announced in her showy way one particularly rainy lunch hour. The magnificent 7 converged round their mutual table, trays laden with the delicacies of mystery meat sloppy joes and _perhaps it is_ pudding. There was no healthy options as of yet to be offered, not that there are many now.

"How about we don't and say that we did?" Was Marco's cheerfully spoken contribution, which was a tad bit unexpected since he usually would tactfully try to deter Janna from storytelling, not outright say _'uh let's not.'_ But then there had been a certain change about him, it wasn't necessarily bad, it was just suspicious. And it didn't take an idiot to guess _who_ exactly had influenced it.

"How about we die and say that we lived, Marco?" This poetically twisted rebuttal was courtesy of the one and only Star, and though it seemed rather just a childish way to pick an argument. When one realized what had been said, you understood it's meaning to be profoundly right on key.

The odd couple glared at each other across the table, Marco infuriated that Star was once again right, Star infuriated that she was proud of Marco for telling Janna to go suck it and yet had again ruined her chance of showing it slightly with her insatiable need to argue with him about everything, again placing them in endless paradox of two wrongs not making a right.

Everyone present pretended they couldn't feel the tension in the air, but they did a poor job of it.

"What kind of story Janna?" Spoke up Jackie with her usual, peaceful, even, unshaken, and unflustered tone. Trying to make light any animosity present and be the supportive best friend for Janna as was her job as _Perfection Personified._

"The kind that makes the blood curdle, the spine tingle, and the stomach turn. The violent, gory, perhaps vory kind of awful monsters and what happens when you don't beware, and it's all 100%, on your life, **true."**

"During lunch?" Was a loose translation of what Ferguson had said behind the barrier of said meal.

"Do you have anything better to do?" And it was a shrugged and nodded agreement among compatriots that most did not. Though Pony pulled up from the table and tried to look regretful, and she did really.

"I unfortunately do, not by choice." The way she said it, so uncharacteristically, a dramatic silence fell o'er the table.

"Wait, where are you going Pony?" Star asked, and she tried to mask the worry in her tone.

"I'm going," she paused for effect, Janna could be showy, but Pony was a downright _ham_ "to a _parent teacher conference."_

As if to punctuate, a clap of thunder rolled heavily across the sky as the lightening flashed behind the girl, painting her peculiar silhouette in an almost ghostly light of anguish.

Star gasped, Marco rolled his eyes, Janna's eyes were shining with admiration and slight envy at the well executed performance, Jackie's mouth was twitched into a smile that could have laughed heartily had her personality allowed. Alfonso who had remained silent, made the small noise of _'wow'_ in his small but largely known fancy for the older girl, of which she pretended did not exist. Ferguson stopped eating, which was _something._

Pony, triumphantly finished her inspired performance with a simple. "Smell ya later!" And was off and out and grinning, the messy task ahead at least made worth it by the fame behind her.

Janna was not to be sidetracked however by the older girl.

"So, who's in and who's out?"

"I'm sorry Jan, I'm out." Jackie admitted.

"You're such a  _supportive_  best friend Jacks."

"I have a study date, I can't get out of it. I can't just not show up, that would be rude!" Jackie had sound logic and manners backing up her excuse and therefore no one could refute and it was slightly infuriating to Star, perfection was annoying and sometimes Jackie was doubly so.

Marco meanwhile had caught wind of Jackie uttering the word date and felt perturbed and as usual, sorry for himself. He had once again missed the opportunity and he often felt he would never get that opportunity in the first place. As often was the case when commenting directly to Jackie or about Jackie he slipped into a role quite unlike him; the bumbling idiot who can't string together a sentence.

 _"Study date?"_ He found himself asking in this way, because that was such a  _hard_  concept to grasp.

_Of freaking course he would do this._

Star tugged frustratedly on her bangs. Her inner monologue screamed in tones of indignation at Marco losing all sense when Jackie was involved and undoing all her long hard hours of good work to earn him a backbone. Maybe it just gave her another reason to be annoyed at Jackie but it was a good one.

"Yes Marco, study date, because some people can do _more_ than study when the word _study_ is involved, life doesn't have to be boring and revolve completely around school all the time." Star's sarcastic tone defined with every word.

It was an angry and vehement response, which shut up Janna trying any argument to the original kickstart to this line of discussion, and she completely forgot what appeal she was going to give to get Jackie to stay.

While everyone else simply noted that despite the cutting tones, it sounded a lot less like her usual degrading of Marco and more like a frustrated girlfriend who wasn't getting anything _but_ Algebra out of _their_ study dates. Which considering Marco was supposedly tutoring her in that subject (the easy cover for magic practice) made things a 100% more intriguing.

However, the biggest question here to be asked was, what exactly were Star and Marco doing during their tutoring sessions, if they weren't having satisfactory secret dating activities and Star was not making any actual progress in Algebra? Thankfully no one was putting those two facts together, far too interested in the more obvious question that always hung around those two and their peculiar undefinable relationship;  _love_  or  _war_?

"Your world doesn't even revolve around school any of the time. If you'd pay the slightest bit of attention there might be time to do fun things but instead you waste all of your time and all of mine while you're at it." And even if it was a biting response on Marco's end, the mere presence of it made Star at least secretly happy she had gotten him back to full sentences and off the thought of feeling sorry for his disappointment of a love life.

It was of no use now to stop the feuding pair as Star launched into her usual spiel of Marco being the constant good guy and alleviating his soul by making her his charity case, while Jackie escaped under cover of the thunderstorm brewing louder than the one outside. The rest left didn't dare move or try to talk as they waited for the storm to pass. It would in a moment.

"—OH WELL DID ANYONE TELL YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD?" Star was burning now, her eyes on fire and almost standing on top of the table.

"I'M NOT TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD, I'M JUST TRYING TO SAVE _YOU!"_ Marco returned without thinking or hearing a word he had said.

Alfonso and Ferguson lifted eyebrows at one another, that sounded suspiciously like a confession. Janna's story had nothing on the drama here. The rest of the cafeteria were enjoying the spectacle as well.

"I DON'T NEED SAVING, I DON'T NEED A HERO! I NEED A FRIEND!"

" _THEN LET ME BE ONE_!"

And then there was silence, even the driving rain storm could not over power it, and Star was leaning over the table and Marco had gotten up from his chair to do the same and you could cut the air with a knife.

Nose to nose, unblinkingly.

"Tell your damn story, Janna." She said darkly, not tearing her gaze from a formidable stare down of her debater, both could barely catch their breath.

Then, it was an awkward moment as they noticed the audience and hastily sat down and Janna gulped in abject terror of the fiery blonde and began.

"Down on the corner of Maple and Hillwood, there is an old greenhouse. It has stood ninety years but it's been abandoned for forty of them. The year was 1969. There was a Doctor, Lumley was his name. A brilliant scientist but he was very under appreciated, he knew a great deal about how the pesticides they were using on the plants were harmful. He knew and he was quite passionate about stopping their use, but of course no one listened to him. He tried and he tried, but they ignored his warnings. Then the experiments began..."

Marco could relate to young Dr. Lumley, a prophet in his own country is never heeded. It's how he often felt among his friends.

Star however felt a different sort of relation.

"Experiments?" She asked, her tone soft and almost unrecognizable.

"There was a group of very dreadful scientists," Janna continued and gazed out into the storm caught up in her own tale, her smile held something almost diabolical and Star imagined the scientists looking quite similar. "They began testing a new and poisonous insecticide on the plants in the greenhouse, it made the plants first mutate into something that could obviously be profited off of. A super plant, that could grow five different kinds of fruits at once and at a size at least five times that of anything normal. They harvested the fruit and sold it. But once the plant had yielded this harvest, it turned the most ugly shade of bruised purple and sickly yellow green, and withered, but it didn't die, it just suffered for ages. But these scientists would not stop, they simply put more of this growth formula hybrid on the plants and the poor things were forced to grow more fruit again in their sickly state. The fruit was just as big, but the plants were weaker and weaker and oozed this disgusting orange slime and overall were dreadful to look at. And they kept them away from the public eye in the greenhouse."

Ferguson wasn't looking all too well after the words _'orange slime.'_ and Alfonso scurried off with him to the nurse's office.

"If you can't stand the heat..." Janna said ruefully with a shrug and continued, seeing as Marco and Star still listened oddly intently.

"The worst thing however, was the unethical scientists had sold the mutated fruit, not to the general public, but to the commissary of a hospital nearby, they had no shame. If the fruit was poisonous, they attested, the patients would die anyway. They were freaking horrible people, I'm telling you. One of the people who ate the fruit of the sickly plants, was Dr. Lumley's wonderful girlfriend, April, who had been in the hospital for several prep tests. She was in the NASA program, and preparing to go into space, and she was Dr. Lumley's moon and stars. Her entire crew got fed the fruit, and they all became dreadfully ill. Then the true plot was discovered, it was a heinous act to prevent the brilliant astronauts from ever being able to go on their mission, and the scientists had been hired to do so. Dr. Lumley discovered all this through great danger, he and April, though she did it in the face of the terrible disease forming from the mutation, and when they had all the information it was far too late. She was dead before the morn."

Janna paused here, and took a heavy breath, a good sign to her listeners that this was only the halfway intermission.

"After her death, and after he found the information, Dr. Lumley started to slowly decline. Maybe the conspiratorial scientists realized he knew and began to pump poison gas through his office vents when he worked late nights. All the rest of April's fellow crew members had died and NASA wanted answers. But again Dr. Lumley was not heeded, the cause being that he was probably going crazy in his grief. Dr. Lumley did go crazy, and he decided that if NASA would not bring the scientists to justice, then he would. He would avenge, his beloved April."

A single tear ran down Janna's eye for effect and she was enjoying herself _immensely._

"He spent long nights in the greenhouse, studying the plants and their fruit and the mutation. Sometimes he talked to them. He named one in particular. April. Then he gathered the seedlings and named them after the children he and April would never have. He told the plants he understood their suffering, and assured them he would not only secure his revenge, but allow them to have theirs too."

She paused and ruffled her hair, flapping her jacket and making herself almost step into the part of the grieving mad scientist.

"If they will not listen to me, they will certainly listen to you!"

Star and Marco sat in stunned silence, they were no longer in the cafeteria on a rainy Tuesday, they were in a dismal greenhouse watching Dr. Lumley lose his mind.

"Then Dr. Lumley poured his own invention on the mutations, an elixir like no other. He opened the roof of the greenhouse like Dr. Frankenstein himself and allowed the lightning of the thunderstorm to catch the pole he attached. The sparks flew and the plants reacted immediately, twisting, forming, fusing together, their sickly green and purple blending into a ghastly and terrifying color. Thorns, gnashed into teeth, branches fashioned into arms that would thrash into flesh and tear you apart without second thought. And the slime... It oozed and gushed and burned. It bubbled like molten and reacted like the worst of chemicals. This terrifying monster let out a roar as Dr. Lumley cackled. But as soon as his presence was known to it, it held no loyalties. He was swallowed whole, the only sound heard was crackling as his bones were crushed and the singe of chemical acid burning his flesh as he screamed in suffering."

Janna took a long breath of air at this and calmed herself as she continued cheerfully.

"Then it rampaged and killed everyone. Until a team was called into stable it with some of the scientists' poison insecticide and lock it permanently in the greenhouse. All plants die eventually right?"

Neither Marco nor Star felt reassured that this was the case.

"Then they abandoned the greenhouse, though there have been adventurous souls who have been said to brave its doors, but are never seen or heard from again. And as for the plant monster, no one knows if it lives still, but sometimes you can hear a roar down on Maple and Hillwood, like no  _animal_  that ever was."

And she was done. Janna collapsed dramatically on the cafeteria table with a smile. "Don't eat fruit, kids."


	5. When Destiny Had A Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be the Beyonce you want to see in the world.
> 
> Mind Karate ahead.

"Stop following me."

Star had dismounted from the bus stop at the corner of Lake St. with a look of grim determination and preoccupation. And Marco had noticed almost instantly as she surveyed the route leading to the north. A route that wound over to Hillwood and Maple at one turn point.

"I'm not following you, we live right next to each other, I'm walking home."

It wasn't even close to truthful but neither was in the mood to try and pretend they didn't know where this exchange was going.

"But I'm not walking home."

And she started up the fateful route. Marco followed.

"I know that."

"Then you are following me." She didn't sound angry really, she sounded anxious and peeved. Another thing to worry about.

"Against my better judgement, yes." Marco said unapologetically. He was not to be put off.

"I don't need your protection."

"I'm not offering it." The replies were short and quick like the pace of their steps as they went.

"I told you, I don't need a hero."

"Then, as your friend, I am letting you know you are doing something stupid and potentially dangerous." And she noted his choice of words, denoting he had been listening during their lunchroom squabble. She did appreciate it, but she hid it with her usual sarcasm.

"Thanks, I hadn't realized taking on a flesh eating urban legend was a trip to the arcade." She dropped her voice to a frustrated whisper as she continued, "Maybe like I hadn't realized that my parents gave me a college savings account for my fourteenth birthday instead of alien citizenship and magic responsibility."

Marco didn't have any words for that but he understood what was going on here. He finally tried "You don't have to do this."

"Yes I  _do_  Marco, I don't think you understand. This is..." And she stopped. Resolve breaking. They were three blocks from the destination and she was afraid and she knew it and she let herself be human if only for a moment.

" _Star_ ," Marco started very gently, and she was surprised. He didn't use her name in such a way often, it was sincere.

"This is all I have." She admitted, with a shaky breath.

"I don't have a family, I don't have friends, not _really._ Pony is going to get sent away to boarding school in Switzerland soon, I just know it. The others are terrified of me and one day they're not going to put up with anything anymore and when that day comes, I won't have anything left. Then what? The government comes after me? I know they will Marco. I need to have _something,_ something to vouch for me. So they won't want to get rid of me so easily. I can be good. I can help, I can use this for good. So this is where I start. I'm going to take down this monster, and any other monster. It's the best I can do."

There was a fire in Star's eyes as she spoke. It wasn't the angry vengeful one she got when they were fighting, it wasn't the fire of a mischievous idea, it was a passion and desire for once to do something with a purpose she thought was right and an ideal for world betterment. Marco felt slightly at awe as he saw it, he had only seen her very few times like this before, and maybe it was something that made him keep trying to make her a better person. He had always found her somewhat attractive somewhere in the recesses of his mind along with secrets he would not admit, but when she held this sort of longing for goodness in her, she shined like her namesake in his eyes and he often wondered how things could be different if they both could change their ways just a little. Maybe they wouldn't fight so much, _maybe_ their friendship would be more stable, _maybe_ it wouldn't be simply friendship, _maybe._ In some alternate timeline.

Yet, there was also a heartbreak there. A girl who felt completely alone, and felt she had to prove herself worthy to live in the only world she ever knew.

"You don't have to help me though, Marco."

It wasn't about doing the right thing anymore for the sake of doing it and reliving his conscious. There was something greater to be done, and he would admit it, it was for Star. But Marco could not find the words to say it and Star did not want to hear them. She was already closing up again after her brief moment of emotional abandon and she wasn't planning on listening to a well intentioned but sappy reply. She wasn't ready yet, and he wasn't either.

"Well if you die, they'll have to kill me because I know too much. It's not like I'm better off either way." And he cringed at how feeble and selfish it sounded. And surprised her and himself when he added softly.

"What I meant was, you don't have to do this, alone."

A precedent was set.

* * *

 If you had told Star Bloomingfield even two months ago. July, possibly the 4th, Independence Day, which ironically is also a story of alien invasion. That she would be standing outside a macabre greenhouse of urban legend status, about to recklessly and headlong rush into it's abandoned confines to battle a plant monster without any prior plan of action, and only the assistance of her own wits and an oddly trusted ally.

She would have believed you. It was a very plausible thing to happen.

However, if you had told her that she had done this act without any proclamation or seeking of attention beforehand. That her wits included newly acquired knowledge of alien magic and the use of a family heirloom that could possibly be a target on her head. That the ally was not Pony or Janna (with Jackie along) or even Al and Ferg trying to prove their courage (and running like chickens with their heads cut off at the sound of a bewildered raccoon rummaging in the overgrowth of a former veggie garden).

She still might have believed you, probably passed it off as half a fantasy, dreamt up by sniffing those scented markers that made people high, but still have taken it for truth.

If you told her that she was accompanied, singularly, by Marco Diaz, of his own accord, willingly and albeit semi happily.

_Liar liar, pantelonas del fuego._

Yet, that is where she was. This was what her life had so unexpectedly become in a matter of weeks. Was it confusing? Heck yes. Stressful? Good god. The best thing that could have possibly happened to her considering her entire existence?

You bet your life.

* * *

Star would not admit a lot of things.

She would not admit her fear of clowns, scorpions, crocodiles, drowning in the Chemical Zone on  _Sonic the Hedgehog 2_ , crippling loneliness, or the threat of the Yellowstone Super Volcano.

She would not admit defeat, weakness of any kind, to being wrong 86% of the time, to keeping a diary (it was light green and in a hatbox in her closet buried under five ZooBooks), to missing her parents, or to ever having succumbed to chicken pox. (Marco was the only one who could recall her catching them from him when they were 6, probably because despite them both being incapacitated, she made him regret it mightily via the use of a pillow. His mom had been the one to graciously offer to nurse Star back to health, so the pillow throwing range was very convenient for Star's benefit at the time.)

She would definitely not admit that she enjoyed the company and attention of Marco Diaz much more than would be expected.

Nor that, it had been that way for the entirety of their, for lack of a better word,  _friendship_.

Children often act up for attention, especially if they have been robbed of both that and affection by those looking after them. In a more psychological explanation; children who lack parental affection or affection of any kind will often take what they can get, skewing the negative attention received by reckless action in their minds with that of positive affection and care for their well being, causing them to act out to receive more of it. The thing was, Star didn't have parents, and after a few years of trying to find any spark of true fondness in her aunt's distant personality and not coming up with much of anything, Star gave up fully on that. There weren't many other people she could turn to for the love she did not have poring over her like other children, except of course for the ones who were closest; the Diazs. The other thing was that the Diazs did not need to have their attentions caught before giving up their love, they loved Star freely and openly and fully as best they could and so she didn't feel the need to act out in front of them and it was almost a healthy mental stability for her and probably would have been if not for Marco.

Star was very young, and needed something to cling to, and Marco was very convenient. So maybe she developed a puppy love infatuation, that only continued to grow.

However, Marco was not as freely giving with love as his parents were, and therefore Star sought it as a challenge. However, this challenge became obsession, and then rivalry and misunderstanding and hurt. Star acted out more in front of Marco then any one else, because she sought his attention more than any one else's. This lead Marco to become frustrated with her, because the more he tried to talk reason into her, the more she seemed to behave recklessly. Possibly because she figured out that she was earning his attention in this way and did not feel the need to stop when her way of doing things was working. So began the cycle, and though it wasn't ideal, Star couldn't seem to find any other way to keep Marco's attention if he wasn't trying to better her as a person. For many times she had shown marked improvement, and Marco had patted himself on the back, much to Star's chagrin, and then promptly left her to her own devices. To the point where Star figured she had to do something to set him off again or else he would ignore her for the rest of his life. Adversely, Marco could not somehow stop himself from the compulsory task of turning Star on the straight and narrow at her every offense, and found that he missed doing so when she was acting like someone with common sense. His life seemed a good deal more settled and smooth during those rare times, but also lacked a certain something. It never felt quite the same unless they were playing their little game of back and fourth. A tennis match of stubborn pride. That they oddly both enjoyed and needed to complete their lives.

Now in the present, Star had slowly come to realize a change had occurred in the status quo. A Status Quo she had not even realized existed until now, despite all her talk against such things. No longer did she have to make trouble to earn the time and company of the one person in the world she could count on. He was, as aforesaid, willingly and albeit semi happily, choosing to spend quality and quantity time with her, doing things that set him out of his comfort zone (a goal she had been trying to achieve for years as well) and not because he had been forced into it or because he would get any credit for it from anyone but her.

In the same sense she was setting off to do something, for the good of others, without trying to earn attention, fame, or glory, even from him. She hadn't even planned for him to be there or know and therefore surprised herself.

No selfish gain, no acting out for attention, no coercion or goal of self righteous assurance. Just two confused and frightened kids, one trying to start anew with a life she could prove was worth living, the other attempting to support her.

Maybe it was the fact that suddenly she didn't need to do something horrible to get Marco to stick around, that he had a new reason to. It wasn't the best reason, it was probably some macho man notion he had in his head that she needed his protection, and she hadn't been happy about that at all. But maybe she hoped, he could understand that all she needed was someone to stand beside her, to have her back. They were both learning and growing.

Star would not admit that the feeling of Marco's hand within inches of her own, in close enough proximity to grasp if need be, brought her the most wonderful sense of comfort.

But she knew it all the same.


	6. It's Kill Or Be Killed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think Larryboy and the Rumor Weed had a really big affect on a much younger me.
> 
> But also...
> 
> Flowey.

"Maybe this will just turn out to be another one of Janna's tall tales." Marco commented in a semi hopeful voice as Star wrenched open the greenhouse door. She was surprisingly strong somewhere in her petit frame, it kinda frightened Marco because he was pretty sure she boxed, and his face was on the punching bag.

"Part of me wishes that were the case, but I did my research during study hall in the library." Star sighed wearily as they entered the dark, not because of the heavy door but because she suddenly felt 100 years old and possibly conversing with the ol' Scratch himself ready to take her away.

"You mean you actually looked up something? Voluntarily?  _You_?" Marco put on an overly shocked look, but the tone was more lighthearted tease. Oddly in contrast to the overall feel of the situation. "And yet you won't study for Algebra to save your life."

"Algebra would not save my life here, doing research on this thing would. Besides I have to keep my low Algebra grade up or else you wouldn't have an excuse to tutor me which is our cover story for alien junk. It's a sacrifice, really." Her own tone took on a slightly playful edge, Marco's jesting putting her at ease. She appreciated that he knew her so well as to know what would take her mind off her own nervousness.

"Don't sound so surprised either, I can crack open a reference book just as well as a nerd like you. I'm not  _just_  a pretty face." And this was punctuated with her digging her favorite flashlight from her backpack to flicker on said pretty face. Was she almost flirting? Yes.

"No, I know you've got a brain in that  _pretty little head_ of yours, I'm just surprised at your initiative coming through, maybe you've  _finally_  been hanging around me enough." Was  _he_  almost flirting? His tone was still joking, and she couldn't see his expression. There was at least five things in his reply that made Star almost distracted enough to walk into a plant border, she thankfully caught herself before she could, she had a reputation to keep up after all.

She paused in the middle of an open place in between old overgrown potting space. The atmosphere of the room was like a shadowy indoor jungle, permanently holding a strange sort of humidity that made Star's hair frizzy. However the underlying feeling of cold scientific atrocities performed here was the only explanation she could give for the goose-pimples on her arms and neck. Maybe she was overly sensitive, but it was almost like she could feel the sadness surrounding this place, the ghosts of dead plants and love turned tragedy. Could plants have ghosts? All common sense and logic said a clear " _no_ ", yet she was also the possibly last living member of an alien race standing here amongst them, stranger things had happened.

"What exactly did you find out?" Marco asked breaking the silence, and also breaking the ice by boldly taking her hand. She knew it was probably because he was just as terrified as she was, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to memorize exactly how it felt so as to write in her diary (that she definitely didn't keep) later on. If they survived, that is.

"According to the old town records and newspapers from that time, there  _was_  a botanist named Lumley working here, and he  _was_  engaged to April Lucas, a brilliant young astrophysicist. I saw the engagement announcement, and they looked really happy. Anyway, everything was just like Janna said, there was a report about the super plant and the new pesticides and a letter from Lumley about how it was hurting the plants, and then the mystery sickness on the NASA flight crew, and then April's obituary." Star stopped for a moment, she was remembering that obituary. Maybe it was how real Janna had made the story when she told it, but Star had felt herself really mourn for the eager young astronaut aspiring. There was something so familiar about her, something that made Star feel for the life lost. The way her eyes shone, the way Dr. Lumley looked at her with such genuine devotion in their engagement announcement.

Marco was taking in what she said with a slight tremble to his stance, _it was just a legend. Just a story, just Janna being Janna and putting embellishments on an old mystery._  He kept up this mantra in his head, but he didn't believe it and he knew Star didn't either. Stranger things had happened.

"Then there was Dr. Lumley's obituary, it was pretty weird on the details of his death, it said he was killed with the other scientists in the greenhouse by inhaling toxic gases! But they didn't have a viewing, just a closed casket at the gravesite service. Very quick, kinda suspicious. Then a report on them closing this place and the pesticide study coming to an end due to 'inconclusive findings' and because of the tragedy. Then there wasn't any more big official reports about the greenhouse specifically, just weird little bits around the records of disappearances and weird noises, but all the investigations got left open ended." She was leading him deeper into the greenhouse as she talked. Stopping to hand him the flashlight to dig out her wand, trying not to make it obvious she didn't want to stop holding his hand to carry both. He complied very easily, still trying to rationalize.

"That still doesn't mean a plant monster, it could just be..." Marco attempted but came up with very little.

"Yes?" She prompted.

Marco again tried to enunciate but couldn't think of anything.

 _"Yes."_ She confirmed herself.

"There's got to be some kind of logical explanation here!" Marco cried out in exasperation, his comfort place of logic the only thing he could cling to, besides Star's hand of course.

His loud proclamation was echoed through the greenhouse, but not as it had been said, a low and blood tingling growl reverberated to where they stood.

"News flash _Nancy Drew!_ There's _not."_ Star counter-reacted in a whisper although the sound had made her stumble into him slightly in surprise and fear.

After a moment of awkward mutual cowering on each other, Star huffed and continued to tug him towards the steady sound now. Trying to deduce how close they were getting by its volume. Marco could feel the flashlight slipping slightly from his clammy grip, but Star was holding his other hand so tight it couldn't even flinch, he questioned if there was still circulation. Star herself gripped her wand so tight she thought it might break, but she was determined it should not fall from her grasp. She had a mission.

The growl only grew louder now, almost deafening, but neither of the duo saw anything particularly odd yet. The only thing was the thickness of vines surrounding the concrete path they trod was growing steadily, and unsettlingly. Star stopped as the frightful hum hit its peak. "Stand back to back with me." She whispered with great seriousness. Marco's eyes grew but he nodded and did as he was told. In the end he trusted her judgement more than he realized. "And don't let go of my hand." She added hastily and was thankful he didn't see her cheeks color for the moment at finally acknowledging it.

"Do you see anything?" She asked breathing heavy in fear.

"Vines." He said simply, barely choking out the word himself. He knew the thing was close. "Do you?"

"Weeds." She replied in the same. Eyes scanning every corner.

Marco felt something hit his arm. It burned through the sleeve of his hoodie and he flinched at the pain but held ground.

"St-Star?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember learning about Acid Rain?"

"Now is not the time to comfort yourself with science, Marco."

"Did you bring an umbrella?"

"Why would I bring an umbrella-?" Star felt herself looking up to the ceiling with this and felt herself ask the good Lord to forgive her of her sins because there was no way she was getting out of this one alive.

There it hung, the gruesome thing, more thorny teeth and acid drool than plant could ever be. The stuff of nightmares and a certain Broadway horror-musical, swinging over the two teens looking up with pure terror.

And it was  _grinning_.

_**"Good Morning STAR-SHINE, the Earth says Hello."** _

* * *

 "H-how do you know my name?"

_**"Oh is that your name? Or simply your classification? Oh destructive Princess how little you know and how much I do."** _

It's voice was like velvet, yet slithered with a snake like rasp. And the underwhelming snarling growl of a crocodile. Star did not appreciate it's condescension at all.

"How can you know anything? You're just a bunch of half mutated weeds!"

_**"Look at this April, we've got a live one, she's feisty! There'll be great eats tonight! One whole delicious adolescent and even some Mewnian delicacy!"** _

If glares were pesticide, Star was launching one at that plant equal to enough DDT to destroy the ozone layer. However it held no effect.

_**"That's quite the withering look you have there Star-Shine, but don't act so innocent. I do know lots of things, ol' Lumley was very kind to his children, he was an organ donor you know. We simply fulfilled his wishes, and got a good hold of his brain. He didn't have any use for it anymore."** _

"That's not even genetically possible!" Marco finally said finding his voice, for science.

" _ **Neither is breeding with aliens boy, but you'll try to find a way eventually I'm sure. Lumley did.**_ "

Conjoined hands were separated like they had been burned on a stove. Marco's entire form went a very decided shade of red inspite of being white as a sheet in fear. While Star simply stiffened in mortification and both were very thankful they weren't able to see each other's faces for fear they couldn't meet each other's gaze.

_**"Now that's said, you both can die with that out in the open, oh yes I can sense it. It's sickening, this undying devotion. Anyway let's cut to the chase, it's been far too long since we've had some decent plant food around here."** _

Star's head was spinning in fifty different directions, and the plants vines were coming up and twisting all too quickly around her and Marco's current position like constrictor snakes ready to strike.

She caught herself in time as she remembered her wand, while Marco took up his defense stance. Star held it up, then with a distinct shout of "WEED KILLER!" the wand glowed bright as she begin to decimate the vines with long streams of deadly chemical in a spinning circulation sprinkler that thankfully traveled gracefully over the heads of the dynamic duo.

The moment the nasty stuff touched the attacking tendrils they screeched in pain, shriveled up and receded like scurrying rats, and Star grinned brightly and bounced at her first victory preparing a final spell to destroy the mother weed already in her head.  _This was easy peasy-_

"STAR!"

Suddenly the shriveled vines were changing, they grew out again now with thorny attachments and gruesome pores oozing acids and they were approaching again. Marco began to attempt some slashing upper cuts but the things simply slashed back burning acid holes in the arms of his hoodie to match the one from earlier.

**_"Fools! we were born of toxins, they only make us stronger. Admit it, you are too weak to use your little tool properly, you know the amount of pure energy it would take to defeat me Princess? The truth is no_ human _can defeat me."_**

Another vine went after Marco as the acid hit an open spot on his skin and he cried out in pain, it was like a panic button to Star.

She hadn't trained for this one yet and she had been afraid to, but it was the only time to try.

Gripping her wand with both hands and a very defiant air, she felt her eyes close as she gathered every ounce of energy she held. Time passed very slowly for a moment, as Marco watched with some awe as everything about her concentrated into a singular point.

Her eyes flew open with something glowing behind them.

"Good thing I'm not  _human_."

Then with the brightest flash something seemed to break open from the wand and Star's whole form. One long scream of anguish could be heard from the vines as the face of the weed fell from it's perch on the ceiling. Burnt and crumbling and barely cognizant. The tiny tendrils surrounding turned to black dust all around Marco as he shook them off, his eyes blinded by the brightness of Star's silhouette.

Soon the light faded, and there stood the same girl, eyes wide and tired, wand in front of her, weak in the knees. However on her cheeks still glowed some residual light forming into something that looked as if it had been left by a scorching brand iron.  _Heart_ shapes.

Star's mouth formed a perfect "o" as she touched the place where the light had left its mark, the glowing settling down into two blush colored marks on her skin.

"Star, are you alright?" Marco was asking now as he had regained his sight despite the sun spots in front of his eyes bounding over to the girl. Star still completely in shock from the strange feeling on her cheeks and the fact that Marco was touching half her face gently with concern and holding her up with his other hand because of how drained she suddenly felt.

"Are you alright?" She returned the question, and felt too tired to even mask her own emotion slipping through, gently inspecting the places on his arms where the acid had burned.

"Yeah." He nodded staring steadily at her as time seemed to slow again, but for far different reason.

"Then yeah." She confirmed, not even realizing what she had said. Getting lost in the type of sappy moment she had only ever allowed herself to dream about.

_" **It's such a**_

_**shame** _

_**really,** _

_**I could have told** _

_**you so much about yourself.** _

_**You're** _

_**so**   **lo** s t. So unsure._

_Both of you._

_But then what can you expect from a daughter of the M-O-O-N?_

_Just like April,_

_trying to make a home between earth and stars."_

Two faces turned away from one another for a broken instant to gaze upon the dying form of the plant as it croaked out these words.  _Then it was gone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And....
> 
> That's all I got.
> 
> It's still a one shot after all. A stupidly long one shot which I split into chapters at the advice of a friend, but a one shot regardless.


End file.
